Historic Hotels of America to Honor Takamasa Osano and Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts with Lifetime Achievement Award

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. October 25, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. October 25, 2016 - Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing and celebrating the finest historic hotels, is presenting the 2016 Historic Hotels of America Lifetime Achievement Award to Mr. Takamasa Osano and Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts, LP. This national award is to honor their more than fifty years of stewardship, commitment, and leadership shown through the restorations, and preservation of the Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort (1901); The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort (1927); Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel (1875), and the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa (1963).

This prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented at the 2016 Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence Ceremony & Gala on November 3, 2016, at The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort (1927) Honolulu, Hawaii.

Mr. Osano and Kyo-ya Hotels and Resorts, LP are committed to the stewardship of these iconic landmarks, evident in their complete restoration of the Moana Surfrider in 1988, and major renovations of The Royal Hawaiian in 2009 and 2015. The Sheraton Maui Resort maintained its respect for the heritage of the land it sits upon during its major redevelopment in 1996. In 2015, The Palace Hotel, an iconic treasure in San Francisco for more than a century, completed an extensive renovation including a restoration of the landmark Garden Court. In doing so, Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts, LP has invested more than half a billion dollars including more than $300 million in extensive renovations and restorations to their Waikiki hotels and more than $200 million on Maui and in San Francisco. Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts, LP is very committed to protecting the environment through sustainable business practices, proactive community initiatives and investments in cutting-edge technology to provide guests with luxurious accommodations and signature service while conserving precious natural resources.

“The commitment shown by the leadership of Mr. Takamasa Osano and the more than fifty years of significant investment in these historic hotels in Hawaii and California by Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts has enabled generations of travelers from around the world to experience these iconic and legendary historic hotels,” said Lawrence Horwitz, executive director, Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “We admire and are pleased to recognize Mr. Osano's and Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts' exemplary stewardship of these legendary hotels and their extensive commitment to the communities in which each hotel is located. Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts is a model for others as shown by its more than fifty years of support for local volunteer activities and cultural initiatives.”

“We are honored to be recognized by the Historic Hotels of America for our stewardship, a role that we have taken very seriously for more than 50 years,” said Mr. Takamasa Osano, president, Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts, LP. “Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts is committed to honoring the history of these cultural icons and will continue to refresh and maintain our legendary properties for future generations.”

“Congratulations to Mr. Osano on this well-deserved honor,” commented Harris Chan, Area Vice President - Hawaii & French Polynesia, Marriott International, Inc. “Mr. Osano and Kyo-ya Hotels are remarkable business partners and we are blessed by their commitment to preserve and update our historic hotel properties. Because of Mr. Osano's vision and foresight, The Royal Hawaiian, the Moana Surfrider and the Palace Hotel will be treasured and celebrated for generations to come.”

About Historic Hotels of America®

Historic Hotels of America is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing and celebrating the finest Historic Hotels. Historic Hotels of America has inducted more than 295 historic hotels into its register of the finest historic hotels. These historic hotels have all faithfully maintained their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity in the United States of America, including 46 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. More than 30 of the world's finest hospitality brands, chains, and collections are represented in Historic Hotels of America. To be nominated and selected for membership into this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; has been designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark or listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having historic significance. For more information, please visit HistoricHotels.org.

About Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts, LP

Kyo-ya Hotels & Resorts, LP (Kyo-ya) has a storied history in Hawaii. Founded by Kenji Osano in 1960 as a subsidiary of Japan-based Kokusai Kogyo, Kyo-ya Company, Ltd. first established itself in the islands in 1961 and soon after purchased the Kyo-ya Japanese Restaurant on the edge of Fort DeRussy in Waikiki. In 1963 the company expanded with the acquisition of the Princess Kaiulani, historic Moana, and Surfrider hotels. In 1974, Kyo-ya purchased The Royal Hawaiian, Sheraton Waikiki and Sheraton Maui, becoming the steward of the two most historic properties in Waikiki - the Moana Hotel (opened 1901) and The Royal Hawaiian (opened 1927). Since 2006, Kyo-ya has been in the process of a $1 billion reinvestment in its Hawaii and California properties.

Contact:
Heather Taylor
[email protected]
+1 202-772-8333